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(No Model.) l S. M. MAN'SFIELD.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A y DISAPPBARING GUN CARRIAGE. No. 502,569, Patented Aug. 1, 1893.

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s. M. MANSPIBLD. DISAPPBARING GUN CARRIAGE.

No. 502,569. Patented Aug. 1, 189s.

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UNITED STATES 'PATENT EEICE;

SAMUEL M., MANsru-Eitn,V on THE UNITED vsTATEs ARMY, y

DISAPPEARING-GUN CARRIAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,569, dated August 1, A'1893.

Appimeonriea october 24.1892. serial No; 449.746. (No man.)

lowing, taken in `connection with the accoml 1 0 panying drawings, is a specification.

'This invention relates to improvements in disappearing gun carriages and it is carried out as follows, reference'being had to the ac;

companying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents a sideelevation of the invention showing the gun depressed below the parapet in loading position. Fig. 2 represents an end elevation of Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents a central longitudinal section of the zo invention showing the gun as being elevated above the parapet; and Fig. 4 represents a cross-section on the line 4 4 shown in Fig. 3.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherv ever they occur on the different partsof the .g5 drawings.

lmthe drawings represents the parapet -inside of which is arranged the well B in which is suspended the counterpoise B from the upper carriage C as'will hereinafter be 5G more fully shown and described. The top of the well is covered by a metal plate B having a vertical perforation b through which passes one or more ropes b by means of which the counterpoise B is suspended from the upper carriage O as fully shown in the drawings.

D is the gun mounted in bearings in the .upper carriage C as is commonin devices of this kind.

' Eis the lower carriage adapted to be ad- '40 justed ina horizontal plane as usual, its upper end being for this purpose pivoted on a hollow cylindrical hub b projecting upward from: the well cover- B as shownin Figs. 3 and 4.

e, c, are wheels or rollers j ournaled near the upper end 0f the lower carriage E, and adapted ,to roll on the Well cover B. or a circular plate .attached to-the top of the latter. The lower end of thelower carriage E is provided with a series of wh'eelsE, E,adapted to roll on the segment E as is common in gun car-V riages.

Fis the chassis intervening between the upper and lower carriages C, E, said chassis be- Y ing pivoted near its `forward end at f to tlie upper end of the lower carriage and near its front end as shown in Figs. land 3. The forward end of the upper carriage C is mounted on rollers C', C', adapted to roll on the chassis `F during the forward motion of the'upper carriage on said chassis. e rests directly upon the chassis during the re The upper carriage() coil and rearward motion of the gun so as to cause a sliding and retarding frictional resist-ance to be overcome during such rearward motion of the upper-gun carriage to partly absorb the energy of recoil andprevent a-too rapid depression of the gun.

To the rearof the upper'carriage is preferably j ournaled eccentrically vthe* rollers C, C, the axle of which may be turned suiiiciently to cause the said carriage to be supported onl said rollers so as to allow the carriage to roll with less frictional resistance on the chassis froml loading to firing position, such roller adj ust/'ment being well -known' in gun carriages.

G is a grooved or flanged wheel or vpulley theA shaft of which is -journaledin suitable bearings preferably secured to the lower carriage, and on said wheel isguided the rope or ropes b by means of which the counterp'oise.

B is suspended from the upper carriage C.

10u the under side of the rear part of the upper carriage C is one, or more projections C3 adapted to come in contact with one or more, yielding orA spring buers e', when the said carriage C reaches its lowest position inldicated in'Fig. l. The said spring buffers c are for this purpose arrange'dat the lower end of'thelower carriage E as .shown in Figs. -l

and 3.' In practice the counterpoise B should "be heavy enough to about counter-balancethe vgun D and its carriage (land connecting parts. l

For the purpose of automatically inclining the gun Vfrom its loading to tiring position and viceversa, I pivot at h, on .each side of the lower rear end of the lower carriage E, a slotted bar Hof a suitable and desirable curvatui-e, the upper end of 'Whichis adjustable for the -purpose of adjusting the'gun ina `zertiroo cal plane after it has been raised above Ithe V l parapet A as shown. in Fig. 3, and it l may be 2 y seance set for elevation before thev gun is raise battery. The adjustment of the.

each of the slotted bars H 'as' shown -inv Figs. 1 and 3, said pipions being secured toa shaft le" journaled in the upper'l end ofthe :lower carriage E and actuated by means ,1 of power applied to a crank, hand-wheel or otherwise as inay be most convenient or practical.

To each side ofthe rear end `of thegun D is pivoted at La link I the lower end of which is guided in a suitable manner in the slotted bar I-I, and to such lower end of the link I is pivote'd a link I' the forwardend of which is pivoted at t to the forward end of the upper carriage C as shown in the drawings. By the arrangement ot' said rlinks and .grooved bar the gun is automatically guided from the'positionshown in Fig. l1 to the position shown in Fig. 3 (and vice versa) during the -raising or lowering of the gun to or from tiring position. o

Each chassis rail F has on its under side a longitudinal groove F' preferably formed by means of 'a rail f' secured at a suitable distance fromA the under side'of such. chassis rail, as shown in Figs.1 and 3. In such chas-A sis grooves F are located the rollers K, K, loosely journaled on a transverse shaft k, on which is also journaled a pair of rollers K', K', adapted to roll on the upper edges of the lower carriage E during the depression of the gun. It is essential that said rollershaft la should be connected to the upper carriage C during the depression of the gun, and for Vthis purpose, I provide said upper carriage with one or more vertically yielding spring actuated clutches L adapted when released to encompass the said roller shaft lo during the recoil and depression of the gun, and to be automatically released from said shaft shortly before the upper carriage reaches its lowest position on the chassis as shown in Fig. l, such release is accomplished by the lower end of the clutch (preferably provided with an anti-friction roller) coming in contact with a cam surface or incline e" on the lower carriage E represented in Figs. 1 and 3. During the upward motion of the carriage C on the chassis F and upward swinging motion of the latter on its pivot f, the rollershaftk remains in the rear end of the grooves F', F', until the chassis inclines slightly forward (shown in Fig. 3) when the said shaft k rolls forward in the grooves until it reaches its forward position where it is ready t0 engage with the upper carriage in its elevated position ready for a discharge. As the chassis by the gravity of the gun, as it reaches its forward position is swung into position for discharge the clutches L are automatically raised to allow the shaft lo and its rollers to come 'into the position above mentioned and this is accomplished by means of a lever M (for each tritov l upper e'nd of each` of the slotted bars I-I is accomplished by means of a pinion h meshinginthe teeth` of agcurvedy rack H', forming a part ofthe upper end of iutthypivstedgat m .is the lower carriage E, the rear end of which lever is swung upward against the lower'end of the clutch when a projection f" lat the front end of the chassis' F comes in contact with the forward end of said pivoted'lever M as shown in Fig. 3.

vTheoperation'of the invention is as follows:

supposing the gun, to' be in theelevated position and ready for discharge as'represented in Fig. 3; the discharge of the 'gun causes its carriage CA to-recoil on the chassis under sliding friction at the same time as the clutches L on .the carriage -C are automatically connected to the roller shaft Alc the moment said clutches pass beyond the rear end of the 1eversM. The chassis F commence to swing downward as soon as the center of gravity of the gun D and its carriageC has moved back of the pivot f, where the chassis -is hinged to the lower carriage E, and the curvature of the lower carriage will permit and during such downward swinging motion of thechassis the rollers K and K', on the shaft lc, are caused to roll respectively against the under side of the chassis and top of thelower carriage'E by which the downward sliding motion of the upper carriage C on the chassis and the tipping motion of the latter on its'fulcrum f are properly constrained and retarded so as to .check recoil and prevent a. too rapid and dan- IOO the shaft k by the cam or incline e" before mentioned and the projection C3 is brought against the yieldiI g buer e on the lower carriage thus causing the gun to come to its loading position (Fig. 1) without shock or jar. During the descent of the gun the counter- IIO poise B attached to the carriage() is raised y sition shown in Fig. 3 to the one shown in l Fig. l by thepivoted links I, I', and grooved bar H as hereinbefore mentioned. Afterloading the gun, when it is desired to raise it, it is only necessary to cause the upper carriage C to rest with a rolling friction on the chassis, which is done simply by adjusting eccentric rollers C" until they bear on the chassis when the rolling friction of the carriage C and tht.l Weight of it and the gun D will be overcome by the counter-poise B' causingthe `upper carriage C to be automatically moved upward and forward on the chassis, and as the center of gravity of the gun and its carriage C comes in advance of the fulcrumf, the chassis will gradually assume the slightly forward tipped pos" tion shown in Fig. 3 and as it reaches such position the clutches L are automatically raised by the projection f and lever M allowing the shaft 7.' and its rollers K, K, to roll forward on the rails f until the rollers on said shaft are brought to the forward end of the chassis grooves F ready to engage with the upper carriage as before stated. During such upward motion of the gun it is gradually inclined from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the one shown in Fig. 3 by the agency of the links I, I', and grooved bar II as stated.

I desire to state the above is a general description of the construction and operation cf the invention and that I do notwish to confine myself to any precise detailsshown as the component parts of the invention may be Varied in size, number or shape without departing from the essence of my invention.

lVhat I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim isv l. In a disappearing gun carriage, a lower carriage having pivoted to its upper end a chassis, and an upper carriage adapted to move on the chassis and connected to a countei-poise, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a disappearing gun carriage, a lower v carriage and a chassis pivoted to the latter and having longitudinal grooves combined with an upper carriage adapted to move on the chassis,y and a shaft having rollers adapted to roll against the chassis and ,lower carriage for the purpose of constraining the descent of the gun substantially as specified.

3. In a disappearing gun carriage, a lower carriage, upper carriage and intervening chassis pivoted to the lower carriage and serving as a support for the upper carriage, combined with slotted bars adjustable on the lower carriage and links pivoted to the gun and to the upper carriage, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In adisappearing gun carriage, an upper and lower carriage and an intervening chassis pivoted to the forward part of the lower carriage, and acting as a support for the upper carriage combined with clutches on the latter, a roller shaft interposed between the chassis and lower carriage and means substantially as described forv automatically releasing said clutches as and for the purpose set forth and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specication, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 20th day of IOctober, A. D. 1892.

SAMUEL M. MANSFIELD.

Witnesses ALBAN ANDREN, ALICE A. PERKINS. 

